Previous -- NextHello, all! I'm back in front of my computer desk. I've also spent a few days getting organized and waiting until I felt I could write without getting in my own way.
This update is to confirm all the players are still there. But I hate to bore people with a slow start, and you all were about to leave town, so we'll
fast-forward through the first leg of your departure. Alright? That way we can do more at once. And so . . .
You're off! Dwain and Overseer found each other already when leaving the temple/home of that branch of the Theia family. John and Alyssa Alpine are both finished with jobs back at the workplaces of the Salt family. Dustan is the last to be spotted, walking briskly from the moderately-wealthy living quarters of those he helped yesterday. And around you, of course, are other masses of exiles, themselves interspersed by armed guards politely (but firmly) escorting you out of the nice town with all the nice folk.
Where to?You all seem fine with going west or east and somehow the distinction doesn't matter but which do I draw on the maps darn it?
Result: 2, east!
East it is! To the Halfway House! To the Hoarding Wastrel Camp! To Glory!
The journey takes some time. Quite some time.. . . Which I won't roll right now. The point is that I'm trying to fast-forward so we don't get bogged down waiting for new and interesting stuff to happen. But later, when I don't have any particular plot for you, I've got a table to try out here.
Food (travel food) +1 +1 HP
Water +1 +1 HP
Bedding (blankets) +1 +1 HP
Warmth (1 kg and then 1 kg of glowstone) +1 +1 HP
Total +8 HP
Everyone is back to maximum!
One tunnel looks rather like another. Every now and again, the tunnels open into a wider space; none of these look terribly interesting nor are there new mineral deposits. Sometimes there are gaps in the roof up to the fresh air above; those are nice.
And so a day passes.
The next day, your watch awakes you to hear scratching noises! Quickly getting more light, you see several small-to-moderate-sized creatures shaped somewhat like turkeys, just with thin forelimbs and scaly skin instead of wings and feathers. They are already at the limits of your vision and dash away before you can approach. Dustan and John explain to the rest of you that these scaled turkeys are good food, and it would have been helpful if only you'd been prepared to catch one.
So Dwain is left eating his prepared food, while Overseer feeds the group from his massive stockpile. It turns out that this was a good amount of food for an out-and-back trip: you go through half of your stock since no one else thought to bring any for themselves. John's water keg holds out just fine, and Dustan's glowstone covers campfires, but those aren't at risk of going scarce as there's another keg and Alyssa has more glowstone.
And so another day passes.
And then . . .
Day 13, Afternoon"Welcome to the Halfway House!" You arrive at another space of fresh air, this one with a building built by human hands. People work, trade, and rest here at the Halfway House. You are met by a gent with a prodigious beard, the Etrigan fellow some of you knew from before. You are halfway, by a completely vague and constantly-shifting definition, to where you need to be.So, team!
Is everybody still reading? Once I get confirmation, I can move the group out east into unknown territory.
Now, yes, while here you could trade. They offer better deals to new people. But due to fast-forwarding you don't have much loot; you only had small change left over in Rock Bottom, and it's only
Overseer (FallacyofUrist) who brought 14 kg of
opal out into the caverns. You could buy 2 days' worth of food with that at 5 opal each. 3 food if either
John (ziizo) or
Dwain (Starver) offers to sell a spare waterskin to get 1 opal.
Dwain also has 5 kg in
etherstone bars.
But whatever you do, I hope you enjoy what comes next . . .